The Unforgettable Umiam Lake (Barapani), Shillong

Welcome back. So we visited Umiam Lake, locally referred to the Barapani Lake on Day 3 of our Shillong Trip. You can also read about Shillong stay at The Habitat Hotel, the mesmerizing vibrant decor, the well-stocked hotel library, our local Shillong sight-seeings and our trip to Cherrapunjee. This blog highlights our visit to the Barapani Lake or the Umiam Lake. Here’s a preview of our hotel at Shillong.

A Spectacular Highway and Breathtaking Umiam Lake

The Barapani Lake, around 15 KM from Shillong, is a vast and beautiful reservoir created by damming the Umiam river back in 1960. As always, you can stir up the internet to find factual data concerning the Umiam river. What my blog presents here is a personal firsthand experience. Mostly pictures shot on my relatively basic digital camera and some on my mobile.

To start with, the Barapani Lake is absolutely huge. And the scenic beauty it offers in unparalleled. One aspect of the Shillong-Guwahati highway is its spectacular maintenance and breathtaking view. We made a two hours stop-over here on our journey back to Guwahati. And wouldn’t have hesitated an iota if we could stay for another two hours. For those of you intending to stay overnight, we did spot a very few hotels at the far end of the lake. The nighttime experience, I am sure would be so thrilling.

The Boat Ride Like No Other

Well, one prime attraction here is the boat ride. And truly a pleasant experience. I have been on such boat rides already, but this one was distinctive. Purchase yourself a ticket and hop on. The crystal clear (and cold) water, the sheer expanse of the lake and the serenity – nothing could be more delightful.

A Perfect End to our Shillong Trip

Our Shillong Trip was fast approaching to an end. And that wasn’t a fabulous feeling. So we decided to pamper ourselves at a road-side Dhaba (eatery) just outside Guwahati. Sinfully treated us to a delicious serving of Roti, Chicken Masala and all that. Finally returned back to Guwahati at around 6 PM.

We had some closely-knit plans lined up the next few days. Visiting temples around Guwahati, especially Kamyakha Mandir, arguably one of the eeriest and scary temples in India. With a history of human-sacrifice, black magic, etc. The ritualistic animal sacrifices prevalent till-date gives you goosebumps. We also had plans of visiting Pobitora National Park. This was a controlled sanctuary for one-horned Rhinoceros. Our Kaziranga National Park trip undoubtedly offered a raw taste of thrill, while Pobitora was mostly imitational. Pobitora was most popular for upmarket resorts, hotels and conducted safaris. Here are a few pictures from our Kamyakha Mandir and Pobitora trip.